How Long Does It Take to Open a Coffee Shop Business?

How Long Does It Take to Open a New Coffee Shop?

Time to Open Your Coffee Business

How Long Does It Take to Open a Coffee Shop?

When you set out to open a coffee shop, one of the first questions you may have is: How much time will it take to start a coffee shop?

By doing some basic research, you will find that several factors determine the amount of time you'll spend opening a coffee shop. For example, it may take six months to a year from your coffee shop concept development to serving your first customer.

This post will look at some essential elements that make up most of the time when starting a coffee business.

Cumulatively, the items we discuss will take up 90% of the time it takes to open a coffee shop. The other 10% will be specific to your needs.

Consider where you'll likely spend most of your time and how you'll be able to reduce the time it takes to open your coffee shop business. 

How long does it take to start a coffee shop? Typically, it can take 4 to 14 months to open a coffee shop. Sometimes shorter and sometimes longer.

How Long Does It Take to Open a Coffee Shop Business?

Starting Your Coffee Shop Business

How Long Does it Take to Start a Coffee Shop?

On average, it can take 4 to 14 months to start a coffee shop. 

Every coffee business is different, and every location will have specific requirements. This will lead to a broad spectrum of time requirements for a coffee business.

We encourage you to read our post, Steps to Opening a Coffee Shop, for further information. It details the steps you'll likely take to open your coffee business.

Start Your Coffee Shop

Time Factors for Opening a New Coffee Shop

The Time to Day Dream

Some people might wake up from a dream of starting their own coffee business and get started immediately (For example, by purchasing the Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit).

Others might need weeks or months to chew on owning a business. But, they need to visualize themselves setting up a coffee business and operating it.

The longer you wait to take action, the harder it will be to garner the momentum to move forward.

 Time it takes to daydream: days to months to years.

Further Reading: Requirements to Open a Coffee Shop

How Long Does It Take to Open a New Coffee Shop?

Taking the First Actionable Step: Initial Research

Once you move on from simply dreaming or thinking about your business, you'll like to move on to doing the initial research, whether it's talking with coffee business owners and baristas or searching online for information on How to Start a Coffee Shop.

This specific period of time for your initial research is essential for most aspiring coffee entrepreneurs.

For example, you may think about whether you can set up a coffee shop in the first place (Hint: You are!)

Will the steps be feasible? How much will a coffee shop startup cost? Can I afford to do this? Do I have what it takes to open a coffee shop (Another hint: Yes, you do!)

You'll get more confidence as you explore our Coffee Shop Startups Kit and learn all the aspects of setting up a business. What I like about our kit is that it offers you a front-row seat to hearing the stories of real coffee shop owners.

The time it takes to research: weeks to months

Your Concept Development

You are deciding on what type of coffee business you like can be the fun part. After all, serving coffee in multiple ways and scenarios can be exciting and profitable.

Ongoing research will lead you to the advantages and disadvantages that your chosen concept would have. For example, you may go back and forth on opening a coffee shop, setting up a mobile coffee business, or starting a drive-thru coffee stand.

These are all great options. They all take similar effort, but each brings different lengths of time and money.

If you are still trying to decide what type of concept you'd like, consider reading our post, 50 Great Coffee Shop Concepts.

The time it takes to develop your coffee shop concept: weeks

Creating a Coffee Shop Business Plan

Creating a plan is an ongoing process as you are researching your future coffee business. Your project can take a few days or weeks, or even months.

It is generating a plan that requires you to do research that is centered on your chosen concept continuously.

I strongly recommend that you write a coffee shop business plan. It will not only save you money, but it will save you considerable time on the back end.

Our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit – has a fully editable coffee shop business plan template.

However, consider reading our post, How to Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan.

The time to create a coffee business plan: Several weeks to months

Developing Your Coffee Shop Startup Budget

Figuring out how much your concept will cost and where you will get the money is a big part of deciding whether to go forward. Take your time to plan how long it will take to obtain cash from each source. This may involve negotiating with bankers, investors, or friends and family.

Developing your coffee shop startup budget is something we've looked at carefully here.

Consider reading our posts:

• Your Coffee Shop Startup Budget
• How to Start a Coffee Shop on a Budget
• Low-Cost Ways to Start a Coffee Shop
• How to Fund Your Coffee Business

 The time it takes to budget: days to weeks

How Long Does It Take to Open a Coffee Business?

Choosing the Right Location

Picking the right location is essential for several different reasons. First, your location will often determine the success of your coffee shop.

Next, you'll want to decide if this is where you want to work.

Several essential elements may determine if the location works out for you. They include everything from personal factors, financial factors, and the existing competition.

For more information, read our post, How to Choose the Right Location for Your Coffee Shop.

The time needed to find the right location: weeks to months

Your Property Lease Negotiation

Your coffee shop property lease can make or break your business. However, essential aspects of the negotiation can take time to be determined.

Negotiating your coffee shop property lease should be something that you prepare for. At the very least, you'll want to hear our interview found within our kit.

Signing a bad lease for the wrong reasons can waste thousands of dollars.

For more information, consider reading our post, Your Coffee Shop Property Lease.

The time needed to negotiate: days to several weeks to months

Permits & Licenses

Once you've chosen a location and signed your coffee shop property lease, you'll need to get the necessary permits. This is so important that I recommend looking into your permit and license factors before you sign your property lease.

Your permits and licenses are connected to your coffee shop concept, menu, and location.

Getting the permits to start your work can sometimes be extremely frustrating – and lengthy. A backlog of people waiting to approve their businesses may set you back weeks or months to start your buildout. In addition, your property lease may need to be negotiated so that you're not bankrupt before the doors even open.

For more information, please read our post, Permits, and Licenses Needed to Open a Coffee Shop. Additionally, I recommend that you listen to our hour-long video #16, found in our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit.

Time needed to obtain your permits and licenses: weeks to months

Your Coffee Shop Business Build Out

Depending on the size and scope of your buildout, you'll need time to work with contractors to create the type of coffee business you envision.

Of course, the complexity of your buildout will depend on several factors, including the property's condition, the complexity of your vision, the availability of contractors, your budget, and your access to permits.

Each of these elements may prolong the time it takes to get things done. For example, you may only be able to finish the drywall and painting once the electrician installs the needed wiring and outlets. If the electrician is backed up, it could push your opening back weeks or months.

Time needed to build out your coffee shop: weeks months

Barista Training

As a rule, barista training shouldn't take long, but it is such an essential element that I want to include it within your calendar of “to do.” Keep in mind that barista training is essential and is highly recommended.

Want to hire amazing baristas? Read our post, How to Hire Amazing Baristas.

Time needed to train your baristas: 2- 3 days

How Much Time Does It Take to Open a Coffee Shop?

Time Needed to Open a Coffee Shop: Add it All Up

As you can see that it can take 4 to 14 months to start a coffee shop. However, every coffee business will be different, and every scenario is different. Even the same chain coffee shop in other locations will take different lengths of time. In each location, you'll be working with different local agencies, different personalities, and different budgets and requirements to open your coffee business. The focus should be determining how much time it would take to open your coffee business.

This list will give you some indication of the time needed for each of these essential components. Some may have to be sequential, while others can happen at the same time. 

Further Reading: Fastest Way to Open a Coffee Shop

How to Reduce the Time to Open Your Coffee Business

Decide on a coffee business concept

Waffling on several coffee shop concepts will only serve to waste your time and money and drain your energy. So instead, do your research, decide on one coffee business concept, and move forward with that business.

Once you decide on a specific concept, you'll make more progress quickly. 

Now, there is always a chance that you'll need to change or adapt. If this is the case, do more research and pivot.

Write a coffee shop business plan

Writing a coffee shop business plan is essential to reduce time and money. In other words, if you want to spend less money, double the research and planning.

There are several benefits to writing your business plan, including providing it to your property manager or any investor.

Please read our post, How to Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan, for more information.

Create a timeline

Besides your business plan, you want to have a timeline that only shows the steps of opening a coffee business. While a business plan is a core document that outlines every business aspect in great detail, your timeline gives you an overview of your business processes. You might not fully comply with your timeline, but it’s an important document to use for benchmarking.

Get our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit

We recommend that you invest in broadening your knowledge and expertise. When it comes to setting up a retail coffee business, it always helps to expand your knowledge base.

Our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit is packed with everything you need to know to launch your coffee shop business. It comes complete with audio interviews, a complete course, and dozens of resources.

We've been helping aspiring coffee shop owners for ten years – providing them with the much-needed information to start their businesses.

Further Reading: Fastest Way to Open a Coffee Shop

The Time it Takes to Open a Coffee Shop

Start My Coffee Shop Faster

The Time it Takes to Open a Coffee Shop

Additional Questions:

Is it faster to start a drive-thru coffee stand business?

Starting a drive-thru coffee business can be faster than a traditional brick-and-mortar store.

I want to emphasize that “can be” faster because many drive-thru coffee shops are built offsite and then transported to an actual location where they will sell coffee. As a result, they are semi-mobile, smaller, and can be made relatively quickly.

However, other more prominent and permanent drive-thru businesses will be constructed from the ground up. This may take time to design, fund, and get the permits and construction company to start working on the site finally.

A leased space can be much faster than a newly constructed building.

Is it easier to open a mobile coffee business?

In a word, yes.

Starting a mobile coffee business can be quicker, cheaper, and easier. This is because the permits needed are much more relaxed. In addition, buying a mobile trailer or coffee truck can be cheaper in the short and long run.

But let me be clear. What is more accessible for some may be challenging for others. Starting a mobile coffee business takes time, effort, expertise, and money. It can also be a considerable challenge. However, it may be easier for the factors listed above.

For more information, check out the following articles:

How to Start a Mobile Coffee Business

How to Buy a Mobile Coffee Business

Are You Ready To Get Started?

Unlock Your Dream Coffee Shop Business with Our Exclusive Coffee Shop Startups Kit!

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Includes Exclusive BONUS Material!

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Coffee Shop Startups

Based in Seattle, Washington, USA, Coffee Shop Startups is dedicated to providing you with the most relevant information on how to start a coffee shop business successfully. Over the last 11 years, we've helped thousands of aspiring coffee business owners worldwide. We harness the experience, wisdom, and knowledge of many successful coffee shop owners to help you increase your chances of success and profits. We support business owners who want to start a coffee business by providing them with valuable information on starting their coffee business successfully.